Objection: To Demand That God Use Supernatural Instead of Natural Means to Heal You Is to Hold God Hostage

The idea here is that you hold God hostage when you refuse to take medicine in order to “force” God to heal you by supernatural means.  Supposedly, God may want to use medicine to heal you.

It is a fact that medicine will be the means for most people's healing because they will never take the time to develop their faith in God’s Word.  That isn’t His best, but it does beat staying sick.  As pointed out elsewhere in this book, it is not a sin to take medicine.

You can’t actually hold God hostage by refusing to take medicine.  Either you’re in faith or you aren’t.  If you refuse to take medicine because you think that forces God to heal you supernaturally, you may get free from your disease – when you go home to be with the Lord!  I would agree with this objection inasmuch as it is wrong to think that you can hold God hostage.  If you aren’t in faith, you won't receive healing from God, regardless of whether or not you take your medicine.

However, you are not holding God hostage when you receive your healing from him the Bible way.  To hold God hostage would be to force God to do something for you.  You do not need to force God to do anything for you as far as healing is concerned.  In fact, God is not going to do anything for you as far as healing is concerned!  God has already done all that He is going to do about healing your body.  He had His Son’s body torn up for you so that your body does not need to be torn up by sickness.  That’s not a promise; that’s a fact that nothing can ever change or undo.

If a billionaire just gave you a check for seven million dollars as a gift, would it be necessary to kidnap him and hold him hostage to get that seven million dollars?  No.  You would just deposit your check.  It is the same with healing.  God has already given it to you.  Just receive it.  You don’t need to hold God hostage.

From a Bible perspective, it is Satan who is holding people hostage with sickness!  Jesus was anointed to heal all who were taken hostage by the devil, or literally under his harsh control (See Notes on Acts 10:38).